The purpose of this research is to identify conditions in early development that influence children's ability to communicate about emotions. Mothers' specific communication patterns, personality characteristics and affective state (depressed; vs. well) were examined. One hundred fifty-five mothers and their 2- to 4-year olds were studied. Emotion language was based on a standard sample of communication generated by exposure to a book of photographs of infants' displaying expressions of various positive and negative emotions. Strong patterns of correspondence between mothers' and children's communications about emotions were identified. The more often mothers discussed positive and negative emotions, used evaluative language, described causes and reasons, and provided explanations for feelings the more their children did so. The ways mothers talked about emotions with their children were embedded in broader personality patterns, e.g., open and perceptive mothers talked more frequently and freely about emotions. Depressed mothers were less able than well mothers to adapt their communications to the needs and capacities of the child. Moreover, depressed mothers tended to avoid providing explanations for emotions.